Rigid bib for infants

ABSTRACT

A substantially rigid infant&#39;&#39;s bib made of self-shape-sustaining sheet material, plastic-coated cardboard or equivalent washable material for example, and such in function and capability that it helps the infant&#39;&#39;s mother to cope with often exasperating spoon feeding difficulties. It comprises a lightweight rigid panel having suitable attaching and retaining means and which is dimensionally large enough in plan to prevent an over-active infant from lifting his hands and arms too high, getting his hands into his mouth, or reaching his hands upwardly beyond the marginal edges of the bib grabbing the spoon, while being fed. The marginal edge of the panel is provided with an appropriately encompassing C-shaped or equivalent catchall trough.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Laura Helen Frances Funk Blenvenu 2,265,690 12/1941 Fiedler 2/49 318 Maple Ridge Drive, Metairle, La. 2,295,860 9/1942 Oliver 224/48 70001 Primary Exammer-Alfred R. Guest No. 1969 meysC1arence A. O'Brien and Harvey B. Jacobson [45] Patented Aug. 10, 1971 ABSTRACT: A substantially rigid infants bib made of self- [54] shape-sustaining sheet material, plastic coated cardboardor equivalent washable material for example, and such in func- [52] US. Cl. 2/49 ion and capability that it helps the i f t mother to cope [51] [IL 13/04 with often exasperating spoon feeding difficulties. It comprises Field send! 2/49, 49 A, a lightweight rigid panel having suitable attaching and retain- 48; 224/5 48 ing means and which is dimensionally large enough in plan to prevent an over-active infant from lifting his hands and arms [56] Rdem Cm too high, getting his hands into his mouth, or reaching his UNnED STATES PATENTS hands upwardly beyond the marginal edges of the bib grabbing 1,261,575 4/ 1918 McLeod 2/50 the spoon, while being fed. The marginal edge of the panel is 1,516,590 11/1924 Dorsey 2/50 provided with an appropriately encompassing C-shaped or 2,199,334 4/1940 Ferry 2/50 equivalent catchall trough.

r -l I2 22 1 8 Optional clam Bib 8 I .:i\" I 22 \I I T -L\\ I l B I k Z0 y 6 f Laura Helen Frances Fun/r Bien venu I p INVENTOR.

rucni BIB FOR INFANTS The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in an infant feeding bib and pertains, more particularly, to a relatively large rigid bib which when in use occupies a forwardly and laterally projecting shoulder-high position and is provided with self-contained attaching and retaining means (of one type or another) and also with an integral marginally situated catchall trough. I

Briefly the herein disclosed bib comprises a panel or the like which is elongated and is preferably but not necessarily provided with suitably performing top and bottom surfaces. This panel may be and preferably is of uniform thickness, is substantially circular in plan and is characterized by forward and rearward marginal edge portions joined at their respective ends by complemental marginal edge portions. A median part of the panel proximal to the center of the rearward edge portion has aneck encircling hole or opening formed therein. This opening is of predetermined diameter in keeping with the neck size required and defines a neck encircling collar. This collar, generically construed, can be positioned and retained in its functioning position in any one of several different ways as hereinafter set forth.

The neck hole or collar can be made to conform to any predetermined size deemed to be comfortable for the infant.

To the ends desired the collar can be provided with benda'bly resilient attaching and retaining tabs or simple and suitably attached tying elements whose free ends can be conveniently connected by a bowknot. Then, too, it would be within the purview of the invention to provide the collar with a complemental upstanding terry cloth portion which could be slipped over the babys head to assist in holding the overall bib in place. v

As will be hereinafter more fully appreciated, the herein disclosed rigid self-contained trough-equipped bib isv an innovation in that it is ample in plan dimension to extend outwardly sufficiently and in a feasible manner to prevent the infant user from reaching up and around the peripheral edge portions thereof and grabbing the spoon while being fed or from maneuvering his hands into his mouth as is permissible commonly done when the regular relatively small cloth bib is being used.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing an infant seated in a chair, a regular neck-tied cloth bib (in phantom lines) and showing more significantly, the special purpose rigid outwardly extending overhanging and arms and hands holddown bib.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the bib by itself.

And FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view partly in section and showing the neck encircling opening or collar provided with tying strings or the like.

By way of introduction to the description of the details it may well be pointed out that the special purpose bib is basically the same in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the only difference being in the formation, construction and use of the aforementioned neck encircling hole and component parts which coact therewith in defining an attaching and retaining collar. Therefore the bib in all three views will be described as a readily applicable and removable lightweight panel which is made of self'shape-sustaining material. Experimental models have been made of cardboard suitably coated with appropriate plastic material (not detailed). Other and also satisfactorily usable models have been made from colorful washable moldable plastic materials. While the bib could be of geometrical configuration other than that shown in the several views, it is preferably generally circular in plan and is designated as an entity by the numeral 6 and has flat or equivalent top and bottom surfaces 8 and 10 (see FIG. 3). This panel may be construed as having forward, rearward and intervening marginal edge portions, the rearward edge portion being denoted at 1-2. The body portion centrally and slightly forwardly of the rearward edge is provided with a collarlike neck encircling hole 14 of requisite diameter and the forward and end marginal portions are encompassed by an integral flange which is directed upwardly and then inwardly to provide a food and spillage trapping and collecting trough, also referred to as a catchall" trough. The trough is substantially C-shaped in plan as brought out in FIGS. 1 and 2 and has a median portion referred to as a forward edge portion 16 and coacting end portions at the left and right as at 18 and 20. The junctional portion of the flange and body portion of the panel is suitably rounded to provide the channellikc trough as brought out in FIG. '3. Thefree ends terminate on diametrically opposite sides of the neck opening 14 and are unobstructedly open as at 22 to facilitate expeditious washing and cleaning.

As already pointed out the means for mounting and attaching the bib will vary. Two such means are herein shown. For example, the median part of the edge'] 2 is provided with a radial slit as at 24 (FIG. 2) to provide a pair of bendably resilient attaching and retaining tabs 26.

Another way of attaching the neck opening or collar consists in using flexible tying elements or strings as at 28, these having their outer ends suitably attached and anchored as at 30 to the bib and having their free ends connectable by a bowknot as at.32. Other suitable means (not detailed) could be employed for mounting the collar in place.

It is evident that the bib herein disclosed is an innovation in that it can be of acceptable service to one, usually the infants mother, when feeding her infant and who, as is often the case, resorts to self-busying movement of arms and spoon grasping hands such as not only tries the patience of the mother but poses a difficult-to-solve baby-feeding problem.

Experience has also shown that the bib can be and preferably should be about 14 inches lengthwise and 9 or [0 inches from the rearward or inward edge to the outward or forward edge. The neck opening can be about 3% inches in diameter. Manifestly, the neckhole is usually of the stated size but will of course vary in keeping with the neck size of the infant on which the bib is to be placed.

The bib shown and when used as illustrated in FIG. 1 can be and often is referred to as a .no-hands-in-mouth-bib. It is just as successful however in preventing the infant from reaching around the peripheral or marginal edges and grabbing the spoon while being fed. The fact that the bib is about shoulder high and is amply long lengthwise from left to right in FIG. 1 it is evident that the end portions extend out and effectually overhang the shoulders and arms and hands Also, the bib occupies a level that its central top portion provides an adequate base and support for an optionally usable cloth bib. Ac cordingly, it well serves the purposes for which it has been devised and successfully used.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, his not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within thescope of the invention.

What I claim as new is as follows:

I. A rigid-type infant's bib expressly designed and adapted to help the infants mother to efiectually cope with commonly encountered spoon feeding difficulties, said bib comprising a readily applicable and removable lightweight but substantially rigid panel made of predetermined self-shape-sustaining material, said panel embodying means whereby said panel can be conveniently and detachably connected to the neck of the infant in a manner that it assumes a forwardly projecting position in a given plane below the chin and just above the level of the infant's shoulders, said panel being of a dimension in plan that it extends outwardly, overhangs and projects beyond the infants shoulders and overlies his arms and, in so doing, prevents him from raising his arms and hands to a hands-inmouth position such that would enable him to reach around the marginal edges of said bib and grasping the spoon while being fed.

2. The bib defined in and according to claim I, and wherein the forward and side marginal edge portions of said panel are provided with a food and spillage trapping and collecting trough.

3. The bib defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said panel is provided around its forward, side, and rearward end marginal portions with an upturned turned-in flange which overhangs oriented marginal portions of the top surface of said panel and is fashioned into a food and spillage trapping and collecting trough, said trough being open at its rearward ends.

4. The infants bib defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein the connecting means is characterized by a neck encircling opening which constitutes an adapter collar, said collar embodying readily applicable bib fastening and retaining means.

5. The infants bib defined in and according to claim 4, and wherein said fastening means comprises a pair of flexible tying elements having like ends attached to the bib and like free ends which can be ties into a bowknot.

6. The infant's bib defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein the attaching means is characterized by a neck encircling opening defining an adapter collar, said collar embodying end-to-end bendably pliant tabs, said tabs capable of being manually flexed in a manner to facilitate applying and removing the collar without scratching or in any manner injuring the infant's neck.

7. A special purpose infant's bib comprising a readily applicable and removable elongated panel made of substantially rigid but lightweight sheet material, a median portion proximal to the rearward edge of said sheet material having a hole cut therethrough and defining a neck encircling collar, that portion of the sheet material adjacent a rearward half-portion of the hole having a radial slit with one end opening into said hole and the other end opening through the coacting marginal edge and providing a pair of complemental tonguelike retaining tabs.

8. The infants bib defined in and according to claim 7, and wherein said tabs are pliant and manually bendable to facilitate applying and removing the collar, and also wherein said panel is made of firm washable plastic material and is marginally provided with an encompassing spillage and food retrieving trough.

9. A rigid bib for infants comprising a readily applicable and removable panel dimensioned in plan that the marginal edge portions extend outwardly from the locale of the infant's neck a distance sufficient to thwart and effectually prevent the infant from reaching out and upwardly around any of the marginal edge portions of the bib to a hands-in-mouth position or to positions that would enable him to strike or grasp the spoon while being fed, that portion of the in-use bib proximal to and oriented with the neck of the infant embodying a neck encircling collar and fastening means therefor.

10. The bib defined in and according to claim 9, and wherein said panel is provided around its forward side, and rearward end marginal portions with an upturned turned-in flange which overhangs oriented marginal portions of the top surface of said panel and is fashioned into a food and spillage trapping and collecting trough, said trough being open at its rearward ends. 

1. A rigid-type infant''s bib expressly designed and adapted to help the infant''s mother to effectually cope with commonly encountered spoon feeding difficulties, said bib comprising a readily applicable and removable lightweight but substantially rigid panel made of predetermined self-shape-sustaining material, said panel embodying means whereby said panel can be conveniently and detachably connected to the neck of the infant in a manner that it assumes a forwardly projecting position in a given plane below the chin and just above the level of the infant''s shoulders, said panel being of a dimension in plan that it extends outwardly, overhangs and projects beyond the infant''s shoulders and overlies his arms and, in so doing, prevents him from raising his arms and hands to a hands-in-mouth position such that would enable him to reach around the marginal edges of said bib and grasping the spoon while being fed.
 2. The bib defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein the forward and side marginal edge portions of said panel are provided with a food and spillage trapping and collecting trough.
 3. The bib defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said panel is provided around its forward, side, and rearward end marginal portions with an upturned turned-in flange which overhangs oriented marginal portions of the top surface of said panel and is fashioned into a food and spillage trapping and collecting trough, said trough being open at its rearward ends.
 4. The infant''s bib defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein the connecting means is characterized by a neck encircling opening which constitutes an adapter collar, said collar embodying readily applicable bib fastening and retaining means.
 5. The infant''s bib defined in and according to claim 4, and wherein said fastening means comprises a pair of flexible tying elements having like ends attached to the bib and like free ends which can be tied into a bowknot.
 6. The infant''s bib defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein the attaching means is characterized by a neck encircling opening defining an adapter collar, said collar embodying end-to-end bendably pliant tabs, said tabs capable of being manually flexed in a manner to facilitate applying and removing the collar without scratching or in any manner injuring the infant''s neck.
 7. A special purpose infant''s bib comprising a readily applicable and removable elongated panel made of substantially rigid but lightweight sheet material, a median portion proximal to the rearward edge of said sheet material having a hole cut therethrough and defining a neck encircling collar, that portion of the sheet material adjacent a rearward half-portion of the hole having a radial slit with one end opening into said hole and the other end opening through the coacting marginal edge and providing a pair of complemental tonguelike retaining tabs.
 8. The infant''s bib defined in and according to claim 7, and wherein said tabs are pliant and manualLy bendable to facilitate applying and removing the collar, and also wherein said panel is made of firm washable plastic material and is marginally provided with an encompassing spillage and food retrieving trough.
 9. A rigid bib for infants comprising a readily applicable and removable panel dimensioned in plan that the marginal edge portions extend outwardly from the locale of the infant''s neck a distance sufficient to thwart and effectually prevent the infant from reaching out and upwardly around any of the marginal edge portions of the bib to a hands-in-mouth position or to positions that would enable him to strike or grasp the spoon while being fed, that portion of the in-use bib proximal to and oriented with the neck of the infant embodying a neck encircling collar and fastening means therefor.
 10. The bib defined in and according to claim 9, and wherein said panel is provided around its forward side, and rearward end marginal portions with an upturned turned-in flange which overhangs oriented marginal portions of the top surface of said panel and is fashioned into a food and spillage trapping and collecting trough, said trough being open at its rearward ends. 